In October of 2012, Jerry Dixon started a general contracting company to specialize in projects involving the insurance claims process. Although this service was not new to the market, the approach was as unique as each project itself. 

Dixon Contracting Services has executed hundreds of projects involving fire, water and storm damage on residential and commercial properties. As DCS evolved, it added commercial remodeling and tenant finish work to its service offering in late 2013.

Due to growth, their services expanded again, and DCS split off its roofing division into a stand-alone company. Prairie Shield Roofing L.L.C was established in 2015 to focus on the roofing market and offer their regional clients in-depth service across the Midwest. As of today, they have completed more than $15 million in projects in 13 different states.

MISSION 

Dedicated to providing quality and ethical construction services to improve the environment in which our customers live and work.

“Louisburg has been my hometown since the early 1970s,” said Jerry Dixon, owner. “To be able to build a business that creates opportunities for local people is something I set out to do since day one.  All of our employees are Louisburg, Paola or Osawatomie graduates.”

Convincing his wife Beth, to leave her career as a teacher to manage the company finances was a game changer for DCS.  She helps keep the company going with her organizational skills and accurate finance tracking, which allows for good decision making. 

“Our strength is our people and their desire to pursue new horizons.  Identifying opportunities that may not be the norm in the industry but fit our stable of personnel is our true innovation,” Jerry said.

DCS believes giving a portion of their profits back to local organizations and charities is a way for them to help Louisburg and surrounding communities grow.

His advice to others?

“Ask questions of every business owner and CEO you can find, regardless of the industry.  Then listen.   Never quit pursuing knowledge.  Find a mentor and read,” he said.

While most businesses adjusted and pivoted in reaction to the issues surrounding COVID-19, one Spring Hill business hit the ground running.

Spring Hill Sports Live was founded in early 2019 through Harris Media Group. Owners B.J. and Leslie Harris relocated to Spring Hill from the southeastern part of the state for Leslie to begin teaching at Spring Hill Elementary School.

B.J., who is also the Executive Director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl, began live streaming video and play calling of high school sports for his hometown of Girard, KS, several years prior. After moving to Spring Hill, he began forming the connections needed to make Spring Hill Sports Live a reality. The Spring Hill School district and local businesses were receptive to the opportunity to both broadcast the local teams and give businesses another avenue for advertising. After working out a contract with USD 230, Spring Hill Sports Live was up and running.

Shortly after football season kicked off in fall of 2019, Spring Hill Sports Live reached a new milestone of more than 800 views of a single event.  Their broadcasting schedule includes football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, baseball and softball games at various levels.  Bronco Sports are live and on demand via HD video streamed to your computer, phone, tablet or smart TV.  Viewers can watch live or anytime on YouTube, Facebook and at www.springhillsportslive.com.  Spring Hill Sports Live employs both professional commentators and a film crew. The service is provided free to the school district and viewers. It is funded solely by local business advertisements and donations.

The concept was so well received by the Spring Hill community that Harris Media Group later expanded their company to include Louisburg Sports Live, Paola Sports Live, Tonganoxie Sports Live and Baldwin Sports Live.

With the emergence of COVID-19, KSHSAA spectator restrictions and accompanying impracticality of large crowds, the “live” sports business became more and more valued to the communities they served.  With the technology already in place, B.J. facilitated live streams for other events including the 2020 and 2021 SHHS graduation ceremonies, the 2020 Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner and Auction, the 2021 Spring Hill Legislative Breakfast and the 2021 Lunch with the Mayor featuring the State of the City Address.

B.J. has spent 20 years in sports broadcasting, directed the Pittsburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and served on the local board of education prior to moving to Spring Hill.  B.J. recently joined the board of directors for the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce.

In the future he hopes to offer opportunities to young people to explore the field of sports broadcasting.

Top left picture courtesy of Todd Riggins Frozen in Time Photography.

The Drive-In at Midway, located on 327^th Street “midway” between Osawatomie and Paola, is a gem for the region. Boasting its title as one of a few drive-ins left in the state, the Drive-In has been a memory-maker for generations of movie-goers.

The new owners, Michael and Heather Wood, were excited to open for the 2021 season after remaining closed in 2020. They took advantage of the down time last year to make improvements to the property and even underwent a rezoning process to allow different activities at the site. 

In fact, the Drive-In at Midway is no longer just the “movie” spot in Miami County, they are hosting a multitude of different events from swap meets to special “show and sell” events accompanied by live bands and food trucks. Swap meets occur each Saturday morning, weather permitting. There is a $15 vendor fee and $2 fee for patrons.  The Woods family has proven to be resilient and flexible working with the vendors and attendees to adjust events based on weather and local expectations.

They are continuing to make improvements to the property and are open to new opportunities such as private events. As an example, they have expanded the show season for 2021 opening in April and planning to remain open well into the fall rather than closing at Labor Day.

Make sure you’ve got The Drive-In at Midway’s Tow and Go Show event on your calendar for June 19-20. This event will welcomes anyone wanting to sell or buy boats, RVs, trailers, and related gear in a forum to haggle for the best bargain. Dealers are welcome to attend this event as well. There will be a live band, food trucks and vendors.

You can find information on their upcoming movies on the marquee out front as well as on Facebook at The Drive-In at Midway – Paola/Osawatomie. Tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for children. Drive-In gates open at 7 p.m., and the first movie will begin at dark. Be sure to “Like” the new page on Facebook and show support!

Astronomical Society of Kansas City

Volunteers at Powell Observatory are eager to start the new season and celebrate their 35^th year in Louisburg after being closed due to COVID last year.

The Astronomical Society of Kansas City is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting amateur astronomy to members and the public. The ASKC operates the observatory to provide opportunities for astronomy research and education.

After presenting virtual sessions last year, activities for the 2021 season will be onsite. Volunteers have moved activities outside and will display images from the observatory’s 30-inch mirror telescope on a large, outdoor screen. Because the events will be outside, visitors are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Activities will range from touring the night sky to listening to an educational presentation on an interesting astronomy topic, and even participating in special astronomical events. Visiting the Powell Observatory gives families and individuals the perfect opportunity to be outdoors while still learning about astronomy and astronomical events.

The facility opens for the season at 8 p.m. May 7 and returns May 21. Visitors will want to consult their website, www.askc.org, for future dates. Donations are requested and assist with offsetting operational costs Suggested donations for persons 12 and older is $8 while children five to 11 years old are $5.

The Powell Observatory has one of the largest telescopes open to the public in a five-state area, the Ruisinger Telescope. Built in 1984 by ASKC members, Powell is located at Lewis-Young Park, just north of Louisburg, KS. 

Nominated by the Louisburg Chamber of Commerce.

Queen’s Price Chopper changing the grocery store game

When it comes to grocery stores, Queen’s Price Chopper in Spring Hill may seem ordinary on the outside but it’s the inside that makes it special. 

“A grocery store plays a very essential role in a small community,” Barry Queen, managing member of Queen’s Price Choppers, said. “…Our culture and one of the things we believe is to support the community that supports you.” 

Opening in 2004, the Queen family has put in hard work, upgrading for Spring Hill residents and U.S. 169 travelers, he said. In the last year, the store replaced all parking lot and track lighting with LED lights; reconstructed the parking lot; added new, lightweight shopping carts; implemented online grocery ordering and delivery; installed new self-checkouts and perhaps the most interesting, an ultraviolet disinfection system in the air vents. 

All five Queen’s locations utilize Synexis — an innovative Lenexa-based bio-defense system installed in ventilation — which turns air into Dry Hydrogen Peroxide and dramatically reduces any viruses, bacteria, mold, and odors in the air and on surfaces. 

“Our experiences with COVID have been very minimal in that location and I believe a lot of that has to do with that system,” Queen said of the July 2020 installation. “You can’t see it … it resides inside the big air vents in the ceiling. It’s 100 percent safe.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company shifted their focus to keep their employees — deemed essential workers in the pandemic — safe and stress-free, Queen said

ough COVID, our people have been stressed and very challenged,” Queen said. “We’re out in the mix of it every single day. We attacked very quickly by installing the plexiglass shields and the Synexis system, implementing social distancing and hand sanitizers everywhere. 

A 10 percent bonus on every hour worked was immediately implemented along with several rounds of gift cards to every employee to help with necessities. 

“It equated to a lot of money … to show our support and them showing up every day and risking their own health with COVID concerns,” he said. “Our people are front and center. …I had to go into protect mode to keep both our employees and our customers as safe as possible dealing with this pandemic.” 

When COVID-19 also brought on a nationwide meat shortage, the company began to think in different ways to still bring customers the meat they needed, Queen said. They were able to utilize their veteran meat cutters to repurpose meats originally intended for restaurants, he said, allowing the store to never run out of meat. 

In the immediate future, the Queen family has big plans for the Spring Hill location, he said. A remodel of all perishable sections including deli, floral, produce and dairy is coming soon along with remodels of existing check stands and customer service areas. 

“We believe that customer service is what differentiates you from your competition. You have to be on top of your game. I believe we are, and we compete very well.” 

By Kate Shupert for Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce

With a passion for home improvement and a fascination with DIY before DIY hit the mainstream, Kirk and Shelagh Wright have been changing the face of Osawatomie one house at a time.

Remodeling homes has been this power couple’s hobby for almost three decades and is how a family idea in the late 1990s evolved into Wright Way Homes. From the total fixer uppers to the updated face lifts, they have experience with it all. 

For the first two-thirds of this couple's “hobby career,” they remodeled homes with the intent of keeping them as rental properties. During that time, they have built a solid reputation for their catalog of well-maintained and upgraded properties. In 2016, the duo bought their first house to “flip” and sell outright, which started a new path of adventure. They soon found house rehab keeping them busy enough to quit their day jobs and focus entirely on their labor of love.

Wright Way Homes spent the second half of 2020 working on something new, even for them. They invested in a large, empty piece of property on the east side of Osawatomie with the vision to split the lot and build two new houses from the ground up. They knew that Osawatomie had not had a new build in almost five years, so this idea was going to be something of a gamble.

The Wrights have seen the new builds popping up for sale 10-20 miles north of town, and knew that Osawatomie’s proximity to the KC metro area would be a boon to people looking to live in a small, charmingly quiet town and commute north as needed for work. This same formula had led to developments in other areas of the county, so what could this mean for the future of Osawatomie? Kirk and Shelagh Wright were willing to put in the sweat equity to find out. 

During the new build process, Kirk and Shelagh have kept their social media page up-to-date with plenty of progress pictures and detailed peeks into the sites, which in turn has kept a lot of residents on their toes. They have had countless people stop by to check out the new builds, chat about the process, and share their ideas for the future.

The public was able to view the finished builds during a January open house hosted by their realtor, and daughter, Britnie Wright. Despite poor weather, the event had a great turn out, and both houses were under contract within two days of hitting the market.

Speaking about their latest project, Shelagh has declared her favorite part of building from scratch to be “NO DEMO! We saved so much time, and it’s nice to be able to start putting it together from day one as opposed to tearing it all apart first.”

“Going to work everyday, doing something you truly enjoy, is such a blessing,” she said. “Being able to share the whole experience with people you love, is both an added bonus and incentive to keep going!”

Kirk agreed. “Honestly, it’s a hobby and passion we share together. And, it brings us closer… mostly.”

Stay up to date with all that the Wrights have going on by “Liking” them on Facebook. The couple can also be reached by phone at (913) 731-0518.

Nominated by the Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce

Tucked away just off Broadway in downtown Louisburg is a company whose only limits are the limits of the owner’s imagination.

Welcome to 107 S. Broadway and KRS Corporation, a company that opened in 2004 manufacturing products for retail, restaurants and movie theater environments. 

Kevin Stoops is the man with the imagination and the company currently holds more than 25 patents on various products.

“We manufacture products used in the restaurant and theater industry. We offer some over-the-counter products but the majority of our products are of our own design.”

Stoops has worked in the electronics design industry for decades and when he moved to the area working for a restaurant company in the IT department. He combined his two backgrounds and created a Kitchen Display System (KDS) generic keypad for uses on virtually any restaurant kitchen management system regardless of system type. In the restaurant the keypads are called Bump Bars. KDS helps workers maintain order accuracy and KRS Bump Bars are the tools they interact with. KRS Bump Bars are used in many large chain restaurants around the world down to your local QuikTrip kitchens.

It wasn’t long into his business venture that Stoops’ imagination was growing faster than his available work space. Living just outside Louisburg, Stoops looked local and found a building suitable for his needs in the downtown area in a former grocery store. 

Stoops didn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic slow him or his employees down. He turned his skills to creating the Tough Shield, a protective desktop shield, sneeze and cough guard. His design is simple to use, extremely clear, flexible, has a pass-through opening of 10” x 4” and is free standing or comes with optional feet. 

The products developed by KRS Corporation to serve needs during the pandemic lies at the heart of Stoops’ advice in starting a business.

“It’s going to be a lot of hard work and take a lot of patience.  You must know your market. Know what you are selling. Know who you will be selling to. Plan ahead, be ready to expand and adjust as needed.”

 All things Stoops and his team have done in 2020.

Nominated by the Louisburg Chamber of Commerce